Hypodermic needle holders



Oct 1967 D. MACLEAN HYPODERMIC NEEDLE HOLDERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 13, 1964 Inventor Donald MacZean B17 his Attorney fli Z Oct. 3, 1967 D. MACLEAN 3,344,787 7 HYPODERMI C NEEDLE HOLDERS Filed Aug. 13, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,344,787 HYPUDERMIC NEEDLE HOLDERS Donald Maclean, Waterbury, Conn., assignor to Truelove & Maclean, Inc., Waterbury, Conn., a corporation of Maine Filed Aug. 13, 1964, Ser. No. 389,291 Claims. (Cl. 128-221) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Mounting means for a hypodermic needle comprising a cup-shaped member for securing a needle to a syringe with the needle projecting in axial alignment from the closed end of the member. Interrupted threads are arranged in columns on the inner wall of the member and grooves radially aligned with the columns of threads are located on the external wall of the member.

This invention relates generally to improvements in hypodermic needle assemblies and more particularly to a hub or cap which mounts a needle for attachment to a syringe.

The various medical and dental syringes used today generally fall into two broad classes or types: In the first type, medicament is withdrawn from a container directly into a tubular barrel of the syringe (generally glass) and is ejected by a closely fitted glass plunger through a needle mounted at one end. After use, both the syringe and need-1e are cleaned and sterilized. In the second type, a sealed capsule of medicament is accepted within the barrel (generally metal) of the syringe. A rearwardly projecting portion of the needle punctures the capsule and the medicament is ejected by a plunger which acts on the capsule and does not directly touch the liquid medicament. The capsule, when empty, is replaced within the syringe barrel and only the needle needs to be sterilized. With both types of syringes the hypodermic needles must be removed for sterilization and occasionally resharpening. The needle is permanently mounted in a generally cup-shaped cap or hub which is removably secured to the discharge end of the syringe by press fit, bayonet connection and now most commonly, by threads.

It is an object of this invention to provide an inex pensive needle and hub assembly which may be readily attached to and removed from a hypodermic syringe with a minimum of time and effort.

Since it is mandatory that needles be sterilized before reuse, and since sterilization itself is a fairly time-consuming process, a large number of needles must be kept on hand to avoid repeated sterilization of one or two needles in the course of a Working day. It follows, therefore, that there is an obvious advantage if a needle can be made sufficiently inexpensively to justify its being dis carded after a single use. Disposable needles are being employed today in increasingly large numbers.

It is, therefore, another object of this invention to provide a disposable hypodermic needle and hub assembly which is less expensive to make than heretofore and which further justifies its being discarded after a single use.

It is obviously desirable to have a removable needle and hub assembly which may be packaged in a sterile condition making it available for immediate use without presterilization and which may be attached to a syringe without contamnation. While it is generally not a diflicult process to remove a needle from a syringe, accidents do occur and considerable harm has occasionally resulted from residual amounts of medication on a needle when the needle has scratched or punctured the hand of the person removing it from the syringe.

ice

Therefore, it is another object of this invention to provide a needle and hub assembly which may be packaged in a sterile condition ready for use and which may be fitted onto and removed from a syringe without being touched by hand.

In accordance with these objects and as a feature of this invention there is provided a mounting hub for a hypodermic needle comprising a substantially cup-shaped member from the closed end of which a needle axially projects. The hub is provided with a plurality of columns of interrupted threads circumferentially spaced about its interior Wall to attach the hub and needle to the threaded end of a syringe. The hub includes a plurality of grooves circumferentially spaced about its exterior wall in radial alignment with the columns of threads to facilitate the threading of the hub and needle onto and off the syringe.

The above and other features of the invention including various novel details of construction and combinations of parts will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims. It will be understood that the particular hypodermic needle and hub assembly embodying the invention is shown by way of illustration only and not as a limitation of the invention. The principles and features of this invention may be employed in varied and numerous embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention.

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a syringe and a sterile package suitable for containing the preferred embodiment of the needle holding hub embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view, partially broken away, showing the hub being screwed onto the threaded nozzle of the syringe;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation on an enlarged scale of the nozzle end of the hypodermic syringe with the hub at tached, the hub being shown in section;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the hub taken in section along line IV-IV on FIG. 5; and

FIG. 5 is a rear view of the hub taken in section along line V-V of FIG. 4.

Referring to the drawings, there will be seen a hypodermic syringe, generally indicated 2, illustrated as the type which accepts a capsule of medicament, the syringe having a nozzle portion 4 provided with continuous external threads 6 for the acceptance of the needle and hub assembly 7 which embodies the invention. The hub 8 of the hub assembly 7 mounts a hypodermic needle 10 in a forwardly extending projection 12 and has a flange 14 surrounding the opposite or open end. To secure the hub and its needle on the externally threaded nozzle 4, the hub is provided with a plurality of sets of internal threads 16. As herein illustrated there are three sets of threads circumferentially spaced 60 from each other. While two sets of threads may be employed, three or more are preferable. Each set comprises a number of segmental threads of equal length with the sets arranged in columns extending generally longitudinally of the needle 10. The sets of threads are substantially identical to each other and have the same thread pitch as the threads 6 on the nozzle 4. The sets or columns of threads are interrupted circumferentially by substantially identical non-threaded portions 18 forming the remainder of the inside wall of the hub.

Radially aligned with each of the columns of interior threads 16 is an axial groove 20 formed in the exterior of the hub 8. Just as the columns of threads 16 are equally spaced circumferentially about the interior Wall of the hub 8, the grooves 20 are equally spaced circumferentially about the exterior wall. It will be appreciated that the simple construction of the hub permits inexpensive manufacture. The hub 8 may be thin wall ductile metal, such as aluminum, or may be plastic. Known processes of drawing, swaging or injection molding may be employed in its manufacture.

The hub is particularly adaptable to sterile packaging. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, a protective sterile package 22 (not forming a part of this invention) may be employed to protect the needle and hub assembly 7. The package 22 includes a barrel 23 having a slightly enlarged portion 24 provided with three axially extending lugs 26 radially spaced about its interior. The lugs 26 are engageable with the grooves 20 of the mounting hub 8. A cap 28 having a sleeve 30 engageable with a collar 32 of the barrel 23 completes the sterile package 22.

To assemble the needle on the syringe, the cap 28 is removed from the barrel 23. The hub 8 held within the barrel 23 by the lugs 26 is then threaded onto the nozzle 4 by rotating the package, engagement between the lugs 26 and the grooves 20 of the hub transferring the rotational force. As the hub 8 is screwed onto the nozzle 4 the rearwardly extending end 34 of the needle punctures a capsule 36 (FIG. 2) held within the syringe, the capsule being of plastic material which efiects a seal around the needle portion 34. When the flange 14 abuts the end face 38 of the syringe the barrel 23 is axially withdrawn from the hub leaving the hub and its needle exposed and ready for use.

After use, the hub and needle are unscrewed from the nozzle 4 by again covering the hub 8 and needle 10 with the protective barrel 23 and unscrewing, thereby eliminating any need for direct handling of the exposed needle.

It will be appreciated that the protective package or cover 22, being flexible plastic, may employ more or fewer lugs 26 than there are grooves in the hub. For example, two lugs 180 opposite each other may be employed in the protective barrel 23 while there are three grooves 20 on the needle hub. This will eliminate the need for hunting for alignment between lug and groove since the barrel may be placed over the hub and rotated no more than 30 until one of the lugs engages one of the grooves which will afford sufi'icient force to unscrew the hub.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Mounting means for a hypodermic needle comprising a substantially cup-shaped hub having means for retaining a needle in axial projection from its closed end, interrupted threads circumferentially arranged in columns on the inner wall of the hub, and grooves on the external wall of the hub radially aligned with the columns of threads.

2. A hypodermic needle and hub assembly comprising a substantially cup-shaped hub having a needle in axial projection form its closed end, interrupted threads circumferentially arranged in columns on the inner wall of the hub, and grooves on the external wall of the hub radially aligned with the columns of threads.

3. A hypodermic needle and hub assembly comprising a substantially cup-shaped hub having a needle in axial projection from its closed end, sets of interrupted segmental threads of equal length, each set circumferentially arranged on the inner wall of the hub in an axially extending column and equidistant from the adjacent sets, and grooves on the external wall of the hub radially aligned with the columns of threads.

4. Mounting means for a hypodermic needle comprising a substantially cup-shaped hub having means for retaining a needle in axial projection from its closed end, sets of interrupted segmental threads of equal length, each set circumferentially arranged on the inner wall of the hub in an axially extending column and separated from the adjacent sets of threads by substantially identical nonthreaded portions of the inside wall of the hub, and axially extending grooves on the external wall of the hub.

5. Mounting means for a hypodermic needle comprising a thin walled substantially circular cup-shaped hub having means for retaining a needle in axial projection from its closed end, sets of interrupted segmental threads of equal length, each set circumferentially arranged on the inner wall of the hub in an axially extending column and separated from the adjacent sets of threads by substantially identical non-threaded portions of the inside wall of the hub, and grooves on the external wall of the hub radially aligned with the columns of threads for engagement with a turning means, whereby said hub may be screwed onto said syringe without being touched by hand.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,223,202 11/1940 Bergan 32 2,677,373 5/1954 Barradas 128216 3,006,003 10/ 1961 Johnson 10-86 3,021,942 2/ 1962 Hamilton 206-43 3,245,567 4/1966 Knight 21542 FOREIGN PATENTS 969,734 7/ 1958 Germany. 169,556 1/ 1955 Sweden.

RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

D. L. BAKER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. MOUNTING MEANS FOR A HYPODERMIC NEEDLE COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY CUP-SHAPED HUB HAVING MEANS FOR RETAINING A NEEDLE IN AXIAL PROJECTION FROM ITS CLOSED END, INTERRUPTED THREADS CIRCUMFERENTIAL ARRANGED IN COLUMS ON THE INNER WALL OF THE HUB, AND GROOVES ON THE EXTERNAL WALL OF THE HUB RADIALLY ALIGNED WITH THE COLUMNS OF THREADS. 